VANCOUVER ISLAND – Seaside Gin, crafted by Sheringham Distillery Ltd., won both a Gold Medal and Best of Show at the Taste BC Awards.
Facing strong competition from dozens of other wineries, breweries and distilleries from throughout BC, their flagship spirit Seaside Gin bested all other products to tie for Best of Show as well as take home a Gold Medal. Seaside Gin was the only spirit in the entire competition to win this accolade.
Sheringham’s Seaside Gin is created using British Columbian grain for its spirit, featuring a mix of botanicals locally sourced from Vancouver Island and elsewhere.
Botanicals include juniper berries, lavender, wild rose, citrus peel and Canada’s first use of dried wing kelp, a renewable resource that is sustainably harvested from the Pacific Ocean a mere kilometer from the distillery itself. The use of this kelp gives their spirit an unique subtle, ocean fresh finish unlike any other gin produced around the world.
Owner and Master Distiller Jason MacIsaac comments, “We could not be more thrilled to be a part of this great event honouring the best spirits, wines and beers from all around BC and to come home with the night’s top prize.
“This is a great year for the distillery as we finalize our expansion plans including a new larger facility, more stills, and more unique products on the horizon. Running a small, crafts spirit distillery is a seven day-a-week endeavour that takes a lot of hard work and winning an award like this makes all the difference to a venture like ours. I could not be more thankful or elated.”
Judges for the 2018 Taste BC event included:
- Chase Macleod – Sommelier, Mission Kits
- Rachelle Goudreau – Sommelier & Consultant, Tongue Tied Consulting
- Barret Pearson – Sommelier, Le Crocodile
- Alain Canuel – Sommelier, PiDGIN; and
- Justin Everett – Wine Director, Wildebeest.
Seaside Gin was also a Silver Medal award winner at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Awards.
Sheringham Distillery is owned and operated by husband and wife team Jason and Alayne MacIsaac and is based in the tiny hamlet of Shirley, BC on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Founded in 2015, all products are been mashed, fermented and distilled locally. Current products include their award-winning flagship Seaside Gin, Akvavit, a Bronze Medal award winner at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits
Awards, and white wheat Vodka.
They have also produced seasonal products: a locally sourced Loganberry Vodka, Barrel Aged Gin, as well as a Dark Chocolate Vodka produced from real, fair trade cacao bean pods and inner husks in collaboration with Sirene Artisan Chocolate Makers in Victoria, BC. Their first whisky release is planned for January 2019.